Are Low Power Tube Amps Worth The Troubl

Can anyone suggest some good efficient speakers that matches well with SET amp (~15W)? I like the Avantgarde, but my wife will never agree to the high price and the "hate it/love it" look. Thanks inadvance.

Nick

Coincident has a "new" speaker at their website rated at 95 db. I would discuss it with Mr. Blume to see if he has designed it with either low powered push/pull or SET tube amps specifically in mind. There is another manufacturer, I think that their name is Swan (and not the Diva one) that makes wooden horn loaded (the bass anyway) speakers. Doug (Sedond) had given me their website once, but I lost it. Good and efficient means expensive as far as I know. It also will depend on the amp itself as some seem to have a lot more driving power than others rated at the same power output.

I have a pair of 91db Ribbon Hybrids (Newform Research R645's) that work well with the 35W AES-25 Superamp (DJH Version). I listen almost exclusively to large orchestral music and have been pleased. Am looking for just a little more oomph for the bottom octave and may augment with subwoofer. Otherwise, the dynamics are fine. My solid state Amp (Odyssey Stratos) goes lower and has more visceral impact. However, it does not have the sweet midrange or highs of the AES.

3chihuahuas: There is something else in regard to horn speakers that I would like to mention (since you may be looking into them). From my experience, "most" horn speakers require that you do not sit very close to them, to get the best sound. I am sure that others may disagree with this general statement, but I feel that this is "one" of the reasons that many people do not like their sound (they auditioned the speakers while sitting too close). I don't have an exact distance or anything nuts like that but off the top of my head I would guess at least 10-12 feet and even further might be better, depending on the setup (for instance I have heard large/huge vintage horn speakers sound great to super from 20 feet or so in larger rooms).

If you need affordable, high-performance speakers for a SET and don't have the money for full-range horns, try the Super12's. One of the biggest problems with SET amps is getting sufficient bass at low power and still retaining the magic mids/highs. These puppies go to 40Hz and are 97db efficient! They'll go loud and deep on just about any music, especially if you are using a 8 watt 300B SET amp, plus you'll have all the SET magic you could ever want.

The only slight drawback is that they come as a simple kit for the drivers and crossover, you have to build the boxes(or have someone do it). Anyway, the kit is only $600 and the speaker boxes can be made for about $60-100 with simple MDF boards. It's dimensions are 14.5" x 14.5" x 48".

Check out the reviews on the Hammer Dynamics website and also the Super12 modifications page. There are quite a few people who have taken the performance to near reference level. You can email or post them from the Single Driver Website that hosts the Tweaks page. Search the archives on the Single Driver forum for posts. Also check Audioasylum.com

BTW, they'll work great with any amp, SET, push-pull, Ultr-linear, solid state.

http://www.hammerdynamics.com/

Super 12 Tweaks:
http://melhuish.org/audio/super12.htm